Goodwill's 2017 in Review, New Board Leadership, Fundraising Breakfasts, & More.

The Measurement of a Year's Success

A look back at 2017

On January 19th, we celebrated the birthday of Reverend Edgar J. Helms, who founded Goodwill in 1902. Helms said, "Be dissatisfied with your work until every person in your community has an opportunity to develop to their fullest usefulness and enjoy a maximum of abundant living." This quote hangs in the lobby of our Training Center in Roanoke and reminds us each day that at Goodwill we measure the success of a year a little differently than other companies. For us it is about service to our community, lives that we have been able to impact through our training and employment programs, and hope for a brighter future. As we look back at 2017, service to people tops our measurements of success. . .

Click here for more information on Goodwill's success in 2017.

Click here to watch the Year in Review: 2017 Video.

Goodwill Announces New Board Leadership

New Officers and new Directors lead the Board in 2018


	Mike Flint, Board Chair

Goodwill Industries of the Valleys is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that provides vital support through guidance and fiduciary responsibilities. The board is comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds and fairly represents the geographical regions served by the organization.

To read more about the Goodwill Board of Directors, click here.

My Story: Christy

Lives Changed Through Goodwill Mission

The mission of Goodwill is all about helping people overcome barriers that they may have to success. Barriers are different for different people. For one person it may be a disability. For someone else, a low income may have limited their access to training so they could advance their skills and find a better job. Goodwill strives to meet people where they are, and provide services that will help them to find greater independence. For Christy, past mistakes led to time in prison. Upon release, she was determined to change her life, but had trouble finding a job.

Click here to hear Christy's Goodwill Story.

Goodwill Hosts Working for Independence Breakfasts

Events in Roanoke and Lynchburg Raised Funds to Support the Mission

Goodwill hosted two Working for Independence Breakfast events to support the mission of the organization during the last quarter of 2017. The events took place on October 25th at the Hotel Roanoke and on November 2nd at the Goodwill Jobs Center in Madison Heights. More than 220 people attended the breakfast events, which highlighted the impact that donors to Goodwill are having on the lives of individuals in our community.

Click here to read more about the Working for Independence Breakfasts and view photos from the events.

Donor Spotlight

Sheila Umberger

You may know Sheila Umberger as the Director of the Roanoke Public Library, but she also happens to be a wonderful supporter of Goodwill. The two organizations have been collaborating in recent years, as construction will soon begin to relocate the Melrose Branch Library at Goodwill's Roanoke Jobs Campus. Through this partnership, Sheila has learned much more about Goodwill and became a supporter. As Goodwill and the Roanoke Public Library began partnering, she was able to see the different facets of the work Goodwill does and how it affects people in positive ways, especially through job training. She is impressed by the work Goodwill does to give many different people opportunities.

Click here to read more about Sheila Umberger.

It Takes a Village

A message from our President & CEO, Bruce Phipps

We've all heard the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child". I believe you can apply the first part of that sentence to just about any journey in life. At Goodwill we know that "It takes a village" to help the thousands of individuals that we help each year. Last year was a challenging year; but because of our partners and supporters . . . our "village". . . we were able to provide hope and a path to a brighter future for thousands of our neighbors.